Washboard.



No. 695,410. I

W. H. MANEY.

WASHBUARD.

(Applicntion flied Dec. 21, 1901.)

Patented Mar. ll, I902.

(Rio Model.)

; .INVENTOH h iMamzy.

A TTOHNE YS UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

TO NATHAN E. MORRIS, JR.,

OF FRANKLIN, TENNESSEE.

WASHBOARDT SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent N 0. 695,410, dated M arch 1 1, 1902. Application filed December 21, l 90l.- Serial No. 6,747. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.- a

Be it known that I, WILLIAM HARDY MA- NEY, of Franklin, inthe county of William son and State of Tennessee, have invented a 5 new and useful Improvement in Washboards,

of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide a washboard which shall not only cause a better disposition of the water, suds, and clothes upon the same during the act of washing, but which shall also lessen the arduous labor of.

hand-washing and it consists in a washboard which is concave on its washing-face and con-;

vex on its back, the axis about which these i 5 curves are described being longitudinal to the board and the side pieces so arranged that their rear edges are in advance of the middle convex back portion, as hereinafter fully de-* scribed with reference to the drawings, in which Figure l is a perspective view of the washboard. Fig. 2 is'a cross-section on line 2 2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3, across-section on line 3 3;

In the drawings, A A represent the two side: pieces. Bis the front, and B the back. The

front is preferably made of corrugated metal, as usual, and the back of wood; but both'are curved in cross-section, so as to present a concave front face and a convex back. The

3 5 curvature is transverse to the longitudinal axis of the board-t. 6., it is described about a longitudinal axis as apart of the periphery of a cylinder. The radius of the curve is preferably such as to correspond to the curve of the ordinary washtub, so that when placed in the tub the washboard will lie close against the wall of the tub next to the operator. The object of this is twofold. First, it causes the line of rubbing on thewashboard to lie very 5 much closer to the operator and lessens the,

reach which is so trying on the back, thus greatly reducing the arduous-labor of handwashing. That this may be more clearly understood it will be seen that if a washboard be straight in transverse direction across its backit will when in the tub occupy the position of "the chord of anarc-in the tub, as shownbyline-z 2, Fig. 4; but when curved, as inmy invention,the washboard lies close against the sides of the tub, and in my invention the line of rubbing is shown at y 'y of Fig. '5, whereas it would be at 00 m with the straight backboard. It is obvious that as the line'y y is closer to the operator than w a; the position y y entails upon the operator very much less reach and consequent fatigue upon the persons back. Furthermore, with my in- -vention-a longitudinal central trough is formed, which causesrthe water and suds to flood the;clothes better when lifted on the board and also causes the water to drain away from'the sides.

"Atthe top of thewashboard there is the recessQwhichformsthesoap-receptacle. Such rece'ptaclesjare common in washboards; but 7 in my invention'itis not only made of the same curvedcros's-section as the lower part of the board, but it projects beyond the lower portionto form a shoulders, that hooks over the top' edgesof the .tub, which causes it to be firmly held thereon, even if the terminal legs or ends of the side pieces A do not reach the opposite: side of the tub.

In' p'ointingjout more clearly the distinguishing features of my invention I would state that the results described in my specification are rendered possible by the fact that the rear edges of the side pieces A A or the edges next to the operator are in advance of the middle of the convex back B. In-other words, a straight line drawn across from the rear edge of one" side piece. A to the other would not fall behind the curved back B, but would intersect the curve of the same after the manner of the chord of an are. This, it will be seen, isnecessary in order to allow the washboard to sit closer to the operator, as described Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure-by Letters 95 Patent, isj 1. A washboard having both its front and back curved about a longitudinal axis, the front being concaved, and the back convex and having side pieces whose rear edges are too in advance of the middle part of the convex I its upper end projecting on the back beyond 10 back, substantially as and for the purpose the lower portion to fOl'lIl a shoulder adapted described. I to catch against the sides of a tub substan- 2. A washboard having both its front and tially as and for the purpose described. back curved about a longitudinal axis, the VILLIAM H M ANFY front being concave, and the back convex, and having side pieces Whose rear edges are in advance of the middle part of the convex back, and also a curved soap-receptacle at 

